Atlantic Monthly

By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics and access other forums reserved for members. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today by clicking here.

Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2015 6:36 pm

An article on scambaiting in Atlantic magazine, written in a "balanced" way can be found here.

He asks the "hard questions" about racism and whatnot, but he seems to not understand the why.

In it the writer asks that old lag hugging question:
"Is there some dynamic at work wherein the Scamosphere calls forth the scam-baiters to do good deeds, in response to bad deeds by scammers, but then the very doing of the deeds somehow draws forth a kind of deplorably vicious joy in inflicting psychic injury?

The competitive, exhibitionist escalation—the drive to come up with the most “creative” scam-bait—has become a drive to humiliate. Does this entail an irony—that as our civilization develops greater and greater technical sophistication in its ability to communicate, we find ourselves devolving into a cruder, Hobbesian state? "

The answer is, Yes. We like to humiliate, degrade and destroy the lads. Its fun. They suck, and they deserve it. Its a shame we can't hurt them more.

Anyway, the article is old, but it sheds light on scambaiting in a sort of time capsule.

Master of Master Baiters Joined: 26 Aug 2006 Posts: 577

At the risk of using the word "political"

One must always be politically correct these days.

That's why so many have adopted the voice inflection of ending all sentences in a question.

Any declarative statement is potentially offensive and certainly confrontational.

Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:15 pm

DO YOU THINK ITS OKAY TO WOUND THESE POOR PEOPLE?

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

Philo Kvetch wrote:

voice inflection of ending all sentences in a question

Amen, it drives me crazy.

Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2015 9:31 pm

I like how the author thinks that big words make him a better writer.

Trophy Videos · Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2015 11:56 am

I abhor phrases like this from lazy journalists:

Scammers are "Blinded by the same greed that blinds their marks."
We all know why.

And scambaiting is "a theater of cruelty."
He totally discounts what the victims of these evil dead things experience in the scam. He needs to talk to a crying romance victim, whose scammer told her if she didn't pay him, he would "send over his boys to rape your daughter and then you, before putting a bullet in both of your heads."

Or see emails from a targeted gold scam, that ended up putting a mentally-challenged victim in a mental hospital for 3 months and totally ruining him financially.

Or read stories about how scammers told a 17 year old kid to hang himself if he does not pay, they will ruin him if he doesn't.

There is no such thing as being "too cruel to a scammer." We only make suggestions on how they can get their "money." If they choose to do it, their problem. They deserve more punishment than any bait can give them.

Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2015 2:11 pm

Quote:

I have a modest suggestion that might make their methods (and their Web sites) more palatable: Lose the trophy rooms. They’re unnecessary, and they give what I truly hope is just a wrong impression—that scam-baiting is about the scam-baiter’s ego, about triumphalism over the poor and uneducated.

I like my superheroes humble.

poor and uneducated? maybe some of them, but there are a lot of well educated and rich scammers out there.

Quote:

Are the scam-baiters Jedi-like cyber-guardians?

I'm still waiting for my light sabre.

Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2015 3:28 pm

I prefer cyber cowboy.

Honestly, another article from an unbalanced perspective.

Posted: Fri Oct 09, 2015 1:44 am

dr stephen williams wrote:

In it the writer asks that old lag hugging question:
"Is there some dynamic at work wherein the Scamosphere calls forth the scam-baiters to do good deeds, in response to bad deeds by scammers, but then the very doing of the deeds somehow draws forth a kind of deplorably vicious joy in inflicting psychic injury?

Drawing upon my very deep knowledge and experience in safari-ing lads, I can say that the answer to that question is a resounding "Yes!".

That week that Omar was stuck in Abeche, walking around with a bunch of mouldering bananas, with nothing to do, no one to talk to, and no access to the internet? I was loving every fucking minute of that.

Next question, Mr. Rosenbaum?

Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2015 7:10 pm

I could give two less fucks what the author thinks. Damn, where is SOOI when we need him and I don't have curse so much. Razz

Master of Master Baiters Joined: 26 Aug 2006 Posts: 577

^^^^

SOOI would just call him a Cock Wallet.

Over here we call them Rumpswabs.

05/29/15

/\/\/\ I'm betting that's equivalent to a butt-wipe here, yes? Razz

THIS -- Thank You, Slappy:

SlapHappy wrote:

He totally discounts what the victims of these evil dead things experience in the scam. He needs to talk to a crying romance victim, whose scammer told her if she didn't pay him, he would "send over his boys to rape your daughter and then you, before putting a bullet in both of your heads."

Or see emails from a targeted gold scam, that ended up putting a mentally-challenged victim in a mental hospital for 3 months and totally ruining him financially.

Or read stories about how scammers told a 17 year old kid to hang himself if he does not pay, they will ruin him if he doesn't.

There is no such thing as being "too cruel to a scammer." We only make suggestions on how they can get their "money." If they choose to do it, their problem. They deserve more punishment than any bait can give them.

Hyyyyysssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss